BUSINESSGOA
50
Goa’s Only Business Magazine
PANAJI GOA VOL 4 ISSUE 6
15 DECEMBER 2012
Vandana naik’s Bodega 34
Goa’s Cupcake Lady metal fabrik india
it’s season time
Mettle of Metal 32
12
special focus
CEC’s Interim Report in Apex Court 24
Businesses that wait for the season to put their best foot forward
sahil adWalpalkar
In Sinq with 26 time and tide
liza chowgule
The Learning Curve 40
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News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features
Contents
15 December 2012
34 Goan Brand
32
Vandana Naik on what makes her cupcakes the talk of the town. Bodega, her new venture’s business profile
38 Professional Dossier Dr. Bonny Pereira’s journey across the world as an Orthopedic Surgeon and now as a concerned citizen of Mapusa
12
12 Cover Story
40 Lady Power
26 Starting Young
52 Bon Appétit
Liza Chowgule talks about the Keshwar Academy of Learning, a school that she has built on passion to impart quality education
Businesses that wait for the season to put their best foot forward. Featuring six businesses who are ready for Christmas and New Year
Zeebop by the Sea offers the freshest catch straight from the sea
Sahil Adwalpalkar on his plans to make brand SinQ one of the most desired and the hottest destination for party goers in Goa
40
28 Enterprise
Raghu Shetiye of Chandan Group talks about his new venture ‘Hello Patrao’ and how he plans on revolutionising real estate in Goa
30 Interview
Kishore Shah, the person behind the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards talks about the initiative and its way forward
30
32 Industry
Harin Bhonsle of Metal Fabrik India and its journey over the years as well as future plans for the Pilerne based company
34
COLUMNS
47 Love for Business 47
Swapnil Kamat on how in business, we should be able to keep our personal prejudices aside, in order to get along with people
48 Reluctant Entrepreneur 48
38
06 Editorial 08 Business Goa 24 Special Focus: CEC Interim Report 36 Campus 36 Book Shelf 42 What’s Up Goa 46 HR Mantra 54 Goa Buzz 58 Newsmakers 58 BG Quiz 04 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
49
50
Blaise Costabir talks about what it takes to build workforce trust and how common management mistakes are made and how they should be accepted and corrected
49 Goan by Nature
Anurag Batra writes about shifts in entrepreneurial trends and how founders of businesses are working towards giving up operational control
50 Serving Aces
Nilesh Amonker on the importance of goals and how pursuing a goal gives your life a direction and energizes you as you inch towards it
BUSINESSGOA
50
Goa’s Only Business Magazine
PANAJI GOA VOL 4 ISSUE 6
15 DECEMBER 2012
EDITORIAL
hbhatkuly@gmail.com
VANDANA NAIK’S BODEGA 34
Goa’s Cupcake Lady METAL FABRIK INDIA
IT’S SEASON TIME
Mettle of Metal 32
12
SPECIAL FOCUS
CEC’s Interim Report in Apex Court 24
Businesses that wait for the season to put their best foot forward
Tricks for the new year
SAHIL ADWALPALKAR
In Sinq with 26 time and tide
LIZA CHOWGULE
The Learning Curve 40
www.businessgoa.net
News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features
VOL 4 | ISSUE 6 | 15 DECEMBER 2012
Editor & Publisher Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Team Amol Ajgaonkar Annalise Gouveia Alisha Patel Lyndon Pinto Virali Govekar Valeny Fernandes Pritesh Naik Ashok Kolvekar Contributors in this Issue Swapnil Kamat Blaise Costabir Anurag Batra Nilesh Amonker Cassandra D’Roza Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office SAVOIR FAIRE MEDIA Business Goa 101/5, Rua Thomas Ribeiro Fontainhas- Mala Panaji, 403001 Goa India Tel.: 0832-2425514, 6456555 Email: businessgoa.media@gmail.com Business Goa is a monthly magazine dedicated to trade, commerce and business features and news. Published on the 15th day of the month
Publisher & Printer: Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Printed At: Printek Printers, Bengaluru
Unsolicited material may not be returned. The opinions expressed in Business Goa are not necessarily that of the publishers. While great care is being taken to ensure accuracy of information, the publishers are not responsible for omissions or incorrect information. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers.
In December, it is always good to take a step back and look at what businesses are talking about, dabbling in or really starting to integrate into their growth strategies. These early signs often point to trends that you can expect to pick up steam. Here are a few hot trends that could be the highlights for 2013. See how you can use them to improve your own business strategies. SoLoMo With the emergence of innovations integrating social media, local targeting and mobile devices. This is what marketers are calling SoLoMo, and look for more innovations in this trend, and more business-to-consumer companies trying to capitalize on those innovations. To paint a picture of what to expect, consider the various apps closely linked to SoLoMo that tell mobile users what companies are nearby and what deals are available. Take that a step further, where users are required to input personal preferences or an app recognizes patterns in behaviour so that when they are near a business that fits their profile, it will push out a notification for a coupon, discount code, special of the day or sale. Publicise your business with news Newsjacking is about figuring out ways to inject your company into breaking news to generate media coverage for your business, build more awareness and create more credibilty. This requires fast action to create a connection between the story and one’s company. Video is in. WYSIWYG “Video is hot” is what digital media experts say. There will be a steady increase in the number of people viewing video content on computers, tablets and mobile devices in 2013. And more and more businesses are snugging on to using the medium to communicate complex statements in a visually appealing manner. Like how mobile phone devices do on say, flipkart. Old is still gold In a world ever more dominated by social media, many marketers have been snubbing their noses at old-style tactics, such as display ads and direct mail. However, the old order is still intact. There is an increase in the number of companies using www.facebook.com/businessgoa
06 Business Goa
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more traditional forms of marketing to further reach prospects that have engaged with a brand online in a super-targeted manner. The key here isn’t to limit the amount of online marketing. It is to augment the frequency and effect of your message by adding traditional methods to the mix, and focusing in on targeted clients, not the market at large. Keep it 360 degrees. Don’t leave any stone unturned. Context rules Content has been king for so long, but look for 2013 to usher in the reign of “context.” Content is still vital, but it’s the context in which it is presented that is now of utmost importance. This is a natural evolution of content and only makes sense as our world demands less waste and more targeted communications. The market is demanding tailored communications that talk to their problems, their industry, their company and how your product or service will benefit their business. Action is all that matters Even when content is created with context in mind, it still needs to go further to get prospects into their marketing funnel. To help that, businesses are increasingly grasping the benefits of adding ‘calls to action’ to their marketing materials. It’s the bridge that connects content to action, and a way to get information from prospects and target them more effectively in future campaigns. Lean, mean and hungry Companies need to measure the results, adjust and relaunch. Small businesses are talking more about “agile” marketing because it gives them greater control and insight into their programs if they execute in this fashion. As agile marketing becomes more prevalent, we will see more small businesses develop marketing programs in stages, as a way to keep costs down, increase speed to market and gather better insight into the performance of the program before it is completely rolled out. Have a great year ahead
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BUSINESS GOA
Goa loses crores in stoppage of iron ore shipping services This fiscal, Goa could be losing over Rs 250 crores in foreign exchange as a result of the prolonged stoppage of shipping services by the absence of large iron ore carriers to the Ports. While money is transacted through banks for port charges and utility services, licensed money dealers would provide a service called Cash To Master, permitted by RBI
Skill Development Institute inaugurated at Vasco by GSL In an effort to impart employability skills among the unemployed youth and school dropouts, a Skill Development Institute, as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project of Goa Shipyard Ltd, with Society for Industrial and Technical Education of Goa (SITEG) as the executing partner of the project, was launched at Institute of Ship Building Technology, Vasco. The Chairman and Managing Director, Goa Shipyard Ltd, Rear Admiral (Retd), Vineet Bakhshi VSM, inaugurated the programme in the presence of SITEG Chairman, Ashok Chowgule, GSL (CPP and BD), director, Cmde P K Shrivastava and SITEG secretary, S D Patil. The launching of the programme was synchronised with the commencement of the first batch of training in welding
technology. The project is aimed at providing training in welding to the youth, honing their skills and preparing them for industry and as tradesmen in ship building, fabrication and ship repairs in particular. The students will be awarded certificates by the Classification Society on completion of the training. Lauding the SITEG for supporting and partnering Goa Shipyard Ltd. in its endeavour to establish a Skill Development Institute under CSR, Bakhshi stated that, “This is a long term initiative with a duration of 5 years for which Goa Shipyard Ltd. has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement, which would see it developed into a sustainable project. GSL shall provide necessary financial support under its CSR to develop the requisite infrastructure”.
Titan eyes outlet in Margao With an eye to tapping the growing market for consumer products, retail chain, Titan Eyeplus announced plans of setting up another sales outlet at Margao. The location has already been decided, premises acquired, and official launch will be within a period of six months. Speaking to the media, Purabi Chanda, Area Manager, Karnataka and Goa, said that the first Titan Eyeplus store, in Panaji
which started in December last year was “faring very well with lots of footfalls translating into healthy sales and volumes growing by 20 per cent per year.” Its greatest advantage vis-à-vis other eye wear stores was “latest products in affordable price range that started at a reasonable price of Rs 395 and reaches up to Rs 5,200. Also, the showroom stocks international brands, spectacle frames, contact lenses and eye accessories.
Chowgule Industries inaugurate workshop and body shop at Verna
Inaugurating the new facility
Chowgule Industries, one of the oldest and most preferred authorized Maruti dealer in Goa having its business facility widespread across the State of Goa (Panaji, Margao, Mapusa, Vasco, Canacona and Khandepar), inaugurated a workshop and body shop under one roof at Verna Industrial Estate with latest technology equipments for servicing and accidental repairs.
Hoteliers say no to food allowance deductions Hotel owners are seeking for an increase in the amount deductible as food allowance for computing minimum wages, before agreeing to the new minimum wage bill proposed by the Government. Owners said that they are not against paying more salaries to their workforce and do not mind shelling up 36 per cent more to their employers as per the new minimum wages standards.
Goa Tourism wins Best Beach Destination Award and Favourite Leisure Destination in India
Nikhil Desai receives the Conde Nast Award
The recent efforts undertaken by Goa Government to improve the State’s beaches and make them attractive for tourists has paid 08 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
rich dividends as the State has won the ‘Best Beach destination’ category award at the CNBC Awaaz Tourism awards and the ‘Favourite Leisure Destination in India’ at the Condé Nast Traveller India, Readers’ Travel Awards 2012, both held recently It may be recalled that the State government has undertaken several measures to ensure safety and security of the tourists on Goan beaches by deploying IRB personnel, formulation of
water sports and beach shack policy and rigorous enforcement and control of illegalities such as illegal masseurs, illegal shacks, nomads, hawkers, beggars, etc on all beach stretches of the state. Arvind Khutkar, Deputy Director of Tourism, received the CNBC Awaaz Tourism award from Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Nikhil Desai, Director of Tourism, received the Readers’ Travel Awards India.
The function was inaugurated by Vijay Chowgule, Chairman of Chowgule Group, along with Ashok Chowgule, Chairman of Chowgule Industries, Padma Chowgule, Managing Director, Chowgule Industries and Tejashri Pai, VicePresident, Chowgule Industries. Other delegates also present were Satish Chowgule, Santosh Chowgule, Vidhya Chowgule Vernekar and Ewart Lazarus. The new facility promises features like 24 hrs Accidental Helpline, latest waterborne paint technology, which is currently used only in high class vehicles. 35-40 vehicles can be worked on, at any point of time at different sections.
Canara Bank imparts training to Self Help Group members The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development for Women (CED-W) Cell of Canara Bank, Goa Circle, organised a training program in flower making at Bicholim recently. Women of the various Self Help Groups, supported by the Bicholim branch were imparted training under the guidance of trainer Ms Rekha Borkar and CED (W) officer, Ms Belinda de Souza. The Assistant General Manager, D Vijay Kumar, Canara Bank, Goa Circle, presided over the function. Chief Guest for the occasion was Madhu K Naik, Sarpanch while Rev Fr Agomis, Principal of Our Lady of Grace School was the guest of honour. Branch Manager, V K Suresh Babu was also present. The participants received a certificate of participation for attending the training program.
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BUSINESS GOA
GHRSSIDC organises handicrafts competition GHRSSIDC organised a handicrafts competition with the objective of promoting innovation and new trends in the handicrafts sector of the State. The first prize was awarded to Asha Naik, (embroidery panel), while the second prize was bagged by Nilam Lotlikar (coconut samai) and the third prize went to Francisco Pereira (ceramic)
Quality check of graduates passing out from Pharmacy Colleges required, says Dr Shetye As part of National Pharmacy Week being celebrated in India, the Goa branch of Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) recently organised a function at Goa University. Chief Guest for the occasion, Dr Satish Shetye, ViceChancellor, Goa University, said that the State’s 2035 Vision Document predicts that it will make 10 per cent of the pharmaceutical produce of the country. However achievement of “such lofty goals” would require “infrastructure development of people to run the industry.” Stressing that Goa has the
numbers, but may be lacking in quality, the Vice-Chancellor pointed out, “There is a need for accountability, to check whether the government is getting back in return the investment that it makes in the field of education. Therefore, it is essential to determine whether pharmacy colleges are producing graduates with a proper knowledge base for increasing output of the industry.” Regretting the absence of evaluation and monitoring of higher education systems, Dr Shetye urged upon the members of IPA to be the professional body
that works on a system “to evaluate whether the education system is performing to expectations,” and determine whether the quality of graduates it generates is of required levels. The welcome speech at the occasion was delivered by Salim A Veljee, Director, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), who explained the importance and role of pharmacists in various sectors, especially in public
Dr. Satish Shetye and Salim Veljee
health. He also stressed upon the need to increase the industryacademia interactions, take advantage of the vast resources of the pharmaceutical hub in Goa so that the students can benefit. The IPA, he said, would like to act as a catalyst to help do this and thus improve the brand image of pharmacists.
Banks look red over mining imroglio
Crompton Greaves Goa plant goes lean
A quick solution to the problem of loans given to barge owners and other mining stake holders appears to be unlikely with the latest meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials and bankers resulting in no clear decision on the issue. Banks, in fact are reconciled to showing more bad accounts in their local loan portfolio as a significant portion of their total of Rs 1,030 crore outstanding from the mining sector as is due for repayment within the next three months, and risks getting classified as “nonperforming assets.” Local banks were called for a special meeting with RBI officials to discuss the matter of a second
Crompton Greaves, part of the Avantha Group, inaugurated its high-efficiency, low-voltage rotating machines plant at Goa. The new LVRM facility, designed on the lean principle production output, is the first of its kind in the country and the first just-in-time manufacturing line at Crompton Greaves. Traditionally, processes at motor manufacturing plants operate in insolation on the batch principle to generate bulk output. Crompton Greaves’ new integrated JIT assembly line has a TAKT time of three minutes per motor and a lead time of 130 minutes, which represents a gain of 98% over a batch mode. The
time restructuring of loans given to barge owners. However, according to several bank managers present at the talks, the meeting turned out to be a damp squib with the RBI regional director from Mumbai who was supposed to be attending it, failing to turn up. The meeting was chaired by Jaikish, General Manager, RBI - Goa, who advised banks to take a “practical view on the problem” and to handle each account individually on “a case by case basis without flouting guidelines.” Banks have also been directed to “avoid being harsh on borrowers and not try to repossess assets as a means of dealing with non-repayments.”
new plant capacity has been set at 10,000 additional units per month. This represents a 66% capacity increase compared to the current production capacity. In addition, by leveraging best-in-class equipment with advanced technologies, Crompton Greaves is able to introduce flexibility and customization into its product mix to cater to the varying demands of industries like steel, cement, textile, packaging, machine tools, and other similar applications. This LVRM unit will handle a three-phase production of induction motors in frames 80132 delivering outputs from 0.379.3 Kw.
Mormugao Port Trust turns towards Belgaum for CII biz family and economically conducive, meeting held increasing its cargo trade thereby fulfilling all requirements. In view of the impending downslide in the economy due to the ban on mining activities in Goa and Karnataka, the Mormugao Port Trust now intends to diversify its handling of Exim cargo by handling various cargo commodities. The Port is gearing up to meet this challenge and has already initiated measures to change its profile from a mono-commodity to a multi-commodity Port. With an aim of capturing the hinterland market, the Deputy 10 Business Goa
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Chairman of Mormugao Port Trust, Biplav Kumar, along with senior officials of the Port, visited Belgaum and had an interactive meeting with the officials of Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other industries such as Hindalco, Renuka Sugar and also the foundry cluster. During the interaction, Kumar highlighted the facilities and services available at MPT. He requested them to make MPT their port of call, considering that it is geographically, logistically
However, officials from Belgaum expressed that the deteriorated condition of the NH4 highway connecting Belgaum to Goa was acting as a major hurdle in this regard. They ensured that if this highway is completed for transportation facilities, they would go ahead and ship their cargo through the Port. Kumar also invited the officials to visit the Port so that they can have first hand experience of the available facilities and services.
How business families cope with generation gap to achieve sustainable profits and growth while keeping the family and the business together, was the subject of a live-wire workshop organised by the CII, Goa, at Panaji recently. The workshop addressed key issues such as family dynamics, siblings and women in the business, the next generation joining the firm, succession planning and governance. Meher Pudumjee of Thermax was the keynote speaker at the event.
COVER STORY
It’s Season Time
Tracking businesses which gear up for Christmas and New Year
Pics: Aliston Dias
raave
christmas decor
Jingling Bells
T
he epitome of Christmas businesses is Raave situated in Panjim, opposite Hotel Fidalgo. It opens exclusively during the month of December, and has a host of everything Christmassy. Raave provides you with a multitude of options, so that your house or the area you choose to decorate has the most exciting Christmas dĂŠcor.
Right from optical fiber Christmas trees to the standard and imported evergreen Christmas trees, Raave has possibly the best collection in Goa. Also available are readymade crib sets that come in sizes varying from large to small, a variety of glistening streamers and even sparkling Christmas lights of all
types, as well. The place hustles with people as the big day draws closer. In addition to enticing Christmas tree ornaments shaped in little stockings, shiny bright colored baubles, bells, gingerbread man, angels and everything that will light up your Christmas lyndon pinto
Christmas decor items on display
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Right from optical fiber Christmas trees to the standard and imported evergreen Christmas trees, Raave has possibly the best collection in Goa for decorating your home for the season
Pic: Aliston Dias
COVER STORY
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walk over
toys
A child’s favourite hangout
T
his is one place in Goa that prides itself in giving you the best toys at the best prices. Walk Over toy store! Be it Christmas or any other season, Walk Over always has the best range of toys, gifts and clothes for kids. Walk Over is an absolute treat for kids as it offers every kind of toy that their little hands could possibly want. You get toys for all ages and the prices range from Rs.5 to Rs.15000. There are board games, puzzles, key chains, soft toys, stickers, bags and cartoon figures, an extensive range of kid’s ride-on products in the form of bikes, cars and other mini vehicles. There are remote controlled cars, bikes and helicopters too, which seem to be a hot favourite among little boys. Among girls, the craze continues to be the fashionably clad Barbie dolls, kitchen sets and fashion accessories. There are also school necessities such as lunch boxes, water bottles, stationery items and school bags along with attractive study tables in different colors and designs suited for diverse age groups. An entire section for children’s books and party takeaways are offered at the mezzanine level. Walk Over provides a truly magical shopping experience to both, parents and children. Parents, be forewarned that once the kids set their foot in, they would hardly ever want to step out without a buy lyndon pinto
Walk Over is an absolute treat for kids as it offers every kind of toy that their little hands could possibly want. You get toys for all ages and the prices range from Rs.5 to Rs.15000 Brida Tavora, Owner of Walk Over
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COVER STORY Pic: Cassandra D’Roza
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cafe chocolatti
goodies
Sweet Christmas
Nazneen Sarosh-Rebelo gets ready for Christmas
C
afé Chocolatti is the ideal leisurely and quiet café positioned just on the busy road of Candolim. The lovely café has been tucked away by tall plants and clever landscaping that keeps you hidden away from the chaos. The lovely garden setting is perfect for a cup of coffee and some good company. Nazneen Sarosh-Rebelo, the woman behind Café Chocolatti is a passionate baker, and it was her love for baking that rendered to a business idea, a café. A 16 Business Goa
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qualified speech therapist, Nazneen opened the gates of her own home for people to sit at the garden and have a charming café experience. And it is at this time of the year where she finds herself especially busy preparing Christmas goodies. Says Nazneen, “Every year, we prepare Christmas baked goods that people love. We do brandy fruit cakes, handmade chocolates, cookies and Christmas cupcakes. Our mince fruit pies though, we find,
Café Chocolatti is ready for the season with brandy fruit cakes, handmade chocolates, cookies and Christmas cupcakes. And, of course, their bestseller – the mince fruit pie is the most popular item.” Every piece is Nazneen’s own recipe, which adds that personal touch. Served in generous portions, you can be sure to spoil yourself here. The café is all set for Christmas
Mouthwatering Christmas goodies on display
having been decorated and the Christmas tree put up. A seasonal business like most eateries in the coastal belt, Café Chocolatti is nine seasons old and one which prides itself in being an all-day café, serving breakfast specials – waffles, crepes and other breakfast favourites. Their extensive menu also offers a variety of paninis, quiches, salads and sundaes, which will keep you coming back for more cassandra d’roza
COVER STORY
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dias decorators
decor & sets
Stage Managed Dias Decorators’ Christmas sets can be found across all major five star hotels in Goa and they are regular decorators for all Taj properties and have even worked at the Goa Marriott Resort
D
ias Decorators have been pioneers in event management and set creation. From creating marvels for events, weddings, corporate meetings and decorations. Dias Decorators have become the most trusted name in set décor and other related elements. Come Christmas season and the firm is busier than Santa’s elves on Christmas Eve. From Thermacol decorations to full sets, Dias Decorators offers its clients the latest and most 18 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
Various Christmas
decorations by the
creative visual sets to make their Christmas party or even homes a true feast for the eyes. “We specialize in theme parties and birthdays,” says Zina Dias. Daughter of proprietor Simon Dias, who further adds that the festive season is one of their busiest times of the year. Their range of Christmas sets and décor items include Christmas
Dias firm
trees, snowmen, candles, props and other Christmas related items. Zina also informs that items can be custom made as per requirements. Dias Decorators’ Christmas sets can be found across all major five star hotels
in Goa and they are regular decorators for all Taj properties and have even worked at the Goa Marriott Resort. This year, their larger than life creations will also be seen at the Bogmalo Beach Resort alisha patel
COVER STORY
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hotel mandovi
new year’s eve
Scintillating Eve
The New Year’s Eve gala event is rated high in Panjim
W
elcome the New Year at Mandovi Riviera’s Aquarius with the most wholesome family “Dine and Dance” event in town, that has been entertaining people of all ages through the years with ‘Scintilla 2013’. Welcoming ambience, loads of fun, dazzling
décor and scintillating music that will make you want to dance the night away, all wrapped up in a neat package especially for you and your family’s pleasure. A multi-course scrumptious buffet awaits the revelers with a wide range of delicious and delectable dishes. Leading bands
Jolynn Carneiro & Cornelia Sequeira
and DJs will set the mood for all to dance; from jive to waltz to rap, there is something for everyone. Even children will have a great time with entertainment specially crafted for them: magicians, Disney buddies, balloon sculpting and face painting. And of course, the traditional old man parade
with traditional brass band will be a great way to bid adieu to the old year and say hello to the New Year amidst a brilliant array of fireworks. A bag full of spot prizes and surprises await you. Panjim’s prime listed new year’s eve bash is not to be missed alisha patel
painting store windows
Paint the town Red, Green and White
H
ave you ever stopped and wondered who has painted the many glass window panes of shops, with intricate designs that keep changing with each festival? We did! We also found a team of two, Jolynn Carneiro studying at the Goa College of Art and Cornelia Sequeira enrolled at the Art and Animation School, who while still pursuing their education, have made glass window pane painting their part time business. They both feel
that all window panes are worth painting. The girls also believe no matter what the size of the window, it can definitely be used to spread the Christmas cheer. Having painted the panes of shops for over four years, they have gone from amateurs to fullfledged professional artists. In the beginning, they say, charges were low as they worked to gain ‘experience’, but they have bid their time and now charge Rs
150 per square foot as paints are expensive and as also because they deliver a high quality job. Some of places that the duo have worked at include Resort Rio at Arpora, Pet Shop, Hotel Heera and Carvalho’s Petrol Pump at Mapusa, Natural at Panjim, Joseph’s bakery at Khorlim, among others. The reason why they both decided to get into this field is
because they feel that painting is a form of expression. Christmas is also their favourite season and December gets them both excited as it’s the best time of the lyndon pinto year
Jolynn Carneiro and Cornelia Sequeira
mas spirit with paint
Creating the Christ
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15 DECEMBER 2012
and brush
special focus
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cec interim report
in supreme court
A cold winter for mining in the offing Highlights of the CEC’s interim report before the Supreme Court
C
to be not in sight. The report was welcomed by the antimining activists like Ramesh Gawas and Claude Alvares who recommended a macro-level environment impact assessment (EIA) before resumption of mining in the State. Others like Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), a collective of different stakeholders of the mining industry, including trade unions backing the workers affected by mining stoppage, truckers and barge operators’ associations and others, have angrilly slammed the report saying, “It has sealed the hope of early resumption of mining.” The CEC suggested that the Goa Government be asked to notify comprehensive rules for storage, transportation and shipment and not to permit any mining till then. It also stressed on preparation of reclamation rehabilitation on the lines done in Karnataka. The Report has recommended that 87 mines be banned permanently including 42 mines operating in and within one kilometer radius of the wild life sanctuaries. The CEC has suggested to permanently revoke their environment clearances. Similarly, the CEC has recommended not to resume
Pic Courtesy: The Goan
hief Minister Manohar Parrikar is understandably not happy with the Interim Report filed recently by the Supreme Court-appointed Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) in the Apex Court over Goa’s mining. He has been quite vocal about his opposition to “Courts trying to run the administration of mining”. Many political observors may not buy his argument, as Courts have not on their own initiative intervened in such matters, but have intervened when groups and citizens have found that there have been situations where governments have failed to govern and failed to regulate the affairs. Goa’s mining irregularities and illegalities is one such example where the previous regime in Goa failed to regulate the affairs in the mining sector as has been brought out by the report of the Shah Commisson. If an exhaustive Interim Report recently filed by the Supreme Court-appointed CEC on Goa’s iron ore mining is any indication, the resumption of mining in the State, in the aftermath of the findings of the Justice (Retd.) M. B. Shah Commission report on the illegal and irregular mining, seems
operations of 45 mines, whose condonation was delayed. It has recommended that environmental clearances (ECs) granted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to the 19 mining leases located within wildlife sanctuaries be revoked. Stating that around 400 lakh MT could be illegally mined ore, the CEC also recommended the same for the other 23 leases within a distance of up to 1 km from the boundaries of nearby national parks or sanctuaries. The CEC termed the initial information furnished by the State as “full of inconsistencies and contradictions and that the information was totally inadequate and incomplete.” The CEC led by P.V. Jayakrishnan that visited mining leases in Goa between October 28-31,in pursuance of a petition filed in the Supreme Court by an environmental organisation after the Justice M. B. Shah
CEC recommends 87 mines be banned permanently including 42 mines operating in and within 1km radius of wild life sanctuaries Not to resume operations of 45 mines, whose condonation was delayed Revocation of Environmental clearances granted by MoEF to 19 mining leases located within wildlife sanctuaries Says information furnished by the State as “full of inconsistencies and contradictions and totally inadequate and incomplete”
CEC team in Goa
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Next report to focus on punitive action against the officials, public functionaries, compensation payable by the defaulting lease holders, cancellation of the mining leases which are found to be involved in substantial illegal mining and other serious illegalities
Prakash Kamat Special Correspondent of The Hindu in Goa
Commission’s stinging Report on illegal mining in the State, wanted the MoEF to place environmental clearances of 120 mining leases located within 10 km of national parks or sanctuaries to be placed before the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). On the issue of dumps, the CEC suggested that the State be directed not to permit the extraction of minerals from the overburdened dumps located outside the approved mining lease areas till an environmentally sustainable Scheme of Mining is prepared. Several recommendations have been made in the report to put a complete stop to illegal mining and regulate mining operations in Goa. The CEC has indicated that its next report would focus on four issues, namely, punitive action against the officials, public functionaries and others, compensation payable by the defaulting lease holders and others, cancellation of the mining leases which are found to be involved in substantial illegal mining and other serious illegalities and any other aspects of the illegal mining issue. The CEC strongly recommended recovery of the amount of illegally exported iron ore from the mine owners. The Supreme Court has told all the parties – the mine owners, transport operators, Central and State government authorities as well as Petitioners – to file their objections to the Report. The next hearing in Supreme Court will be in the second week of January 2013. The CEC has recommended that the State government, within three months, quantify the illegal ore exported and recover compensation from those “involved in production, trade or
The CEC report also did not suggest any tangible measures or recommendations to resolve the issues of livelihood of mining dependent people inspite of handing over a detailed representation to the members of CEC by several mining dependent peoples’ organizations is a serious criticism that CEC should address export of illegal iron ore.” The CEC has recommended to keep in abeyance 120 mining leases, which are operating within 10 kilometers of the sanctuaries, as per the buffer zone guidelines. So also, the mining activity in the leases which are operating wholly or partly in the forests. It wants the Apex Court to constitute a high level committee under Goa’s Chief Secretary to ascertain returns filed by mine owners and place it before the Court within three months. It wants the Chief Secretary to file monthly Action Taken Report about leases operating in violation of rules. The CEC recommended strong action against officers and others involved in condoning the delay of mining leases and not to permit to resume these mines. The GMPF, which resorted to public protests in the city, like burning of the copies of the report as mark of its anguish
and agitation led by trade union leader Christopher Fonseca and convenor Advocate Suhaas Naik, reiterated its contention that it was a matter of great concern that the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) Report was totally one-sided, biased and prejudicial in nature. The GMPF has planned a sustained struggle throughout Goa demanding immediate commencement of ‘legal mining’ operations in Goa. The GMPF has decided to take this struggle of the people in the Courts of Law as well as on the streets, the press note stated. GMPF lamented that the CEC had not taken into consideration the issues of the survival and livelihoods of more than 3 lakh mining dependent people in Goa. The CEC report, submitted to the Apex Court, also did not suggest any tangible measures or recommendations to resolve the issues of livelihood of mining dependent people inspite
The CEC suggested that the State be directed not to permit the extraction of minerals from the overburdened dumps located outside the approved mining lease areas till an environmentally sustainable scheme of mining is prepared
of handing over a detailed representation to the members of CEC by several mining dependent peoples’ organizations during their Goa visit in October. The current mining ban has seriously affected the lives of mining dependent people since the ban has dispossessed lakhs of people dependent on mining of their livelihood, said Fonseca of GMPF and added that this situation had been further aggravated by the CEC Report
15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 25
STARTING YOUNG
The Goan Taverna gives you a feel of an Irish Pub. Although there is memorabilia and other items that remind you of a Goan Taverna, the feel you get is of an Irish Pub. There is a depiction of North Goa on one side and of South Goa on the other.
Sahil Adwalpalkar
SinQ
In SinQ with time and tide Lyndon Pinto finds out about Sahil Adwalpalkar’s new venture – SinQ
Sahil Adwalpalkar
SinQ is a total party destination, where you have a club on the ground floor, a Goan Taverna on the 1st floor and SinQ Air which will be open shortly on the 2nd floor
A
fter completing his education in the United States, Sahil Adwalpalkar came back to Goa and decided to take the company Adwalpalkar Constructions to new heights. He says, “I was fortunate to come in contact with Raya Shankwalker. He being a very experienced architect and I, a fresher seemed like a very risky proposition but we brought in a number of consultants on board and were hence able to pull off a miracle of
SinQ. There was a team that designed the whole concept; there was a team that managed only the sound, a team to handle the lighting, there was basically a team in place to take care of everything. And Raya was the link that held all these pieces together. We managed to complete the entire project in around 4 months, which was very difficult to pull off considering the sheer quantum of the project, but everyone worked very hard and that is the only reason why SinQ was able to have its launch on the 1st of December.” Sahil, a Civil Engineer from Goa Engineering College, moved to the United States of America to complete his Masters in Construction Management at the University of Kansas. Immediately after returning home, he joined the family business at Adwalpalkar Constructions and went straight into a project called Horizon, and once that was complete, he dove into the completion of two other projects called Safire and Eleganza. Sahil stressed on finishing those projects on his own as he wanted to rework on the styling of those projects and bring a little modernization into the company. That’s when the SinQ concept came about. Why is SinQ different from other places? Sahil believes that Goa has always had the clubbing culture but SinQ gives you the complete repertoire. “It is a total party destination, where you have a club on the ground floor,
a Goan Taverna on the 1st floor and SinQ Air which will be open shortly on the 2nd floor.” The Goan Taverna gives you a feel of an Irish Pub although there is memorabilia and other items that remind you of a Goan Taverna, the feel you get is that of an Irish Pub. There is a depiction of North Goa on one side and of South Goa on the other, there are murals all around and typical Goan Saraswat finger food is served. Once you have your meal, you can move into the party zone. There is an indoor and outdoor partying facility but the outdoor venue is subject to sound restriction laws. On the brightside however, there is a long pool with around 5 private cabanas – where you can have your privacy and still enjoy the party. “The air-conditioning was designed by Samsung which has an air filtration system that any odours are pumped out making it a completely digital airconditioning system. The club’s sound is designed by Sound Wizards, the same team that have put AR Rehman’s sound studio together and with their level of quality, I am pretty sure that SinQ has possibly the best sound in the country,” says a beaming Sahil. The club has more of a warehouse feel with a brick finish and piping that is not concealed but Sahil says that is just to add
Outdoor lounge at SinQ
26 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
to aesthetics of the place. Sahil also says that although it is safe to say that SinQ was his vision, without the able guidance, unvarying efforts and hard work of Architect Raya Shankhwalker, this vision of his would never have seen the light of day. “Raya has been the driving force behind this project right from choosing fabric colours to staying up till 6am and reporting back at 9am. Without him, this was impossible. The entire team has also been a great help, as despite the various religious functions, they worked shifts to make sure that work was not hampered.” As for the future, Sahil wants to see brand SinQ as an established property. “I want to create an identity for myself. I want people to understand the concept that SinQ has to offer and I want them to feel a need to be part of it. Three years from now, I see SinQ well established in the market due to its uniqueness as well as because of our technological edge. I can very confidently say that for the next 5 years we do not need to make any advancements. With regards to the company, we will be getting into the hospitality business. SinQ will expand with a boutique hotel behind it. And within the next two years, we will have two hotels in Goa,” concludes a confident Sahil
‘Hello Patrao’ was started as a means to help people in the real estate field. If there is a dispute, the firm provide guidance, a lawyer, and advice – all for free. If there are court matters or legal proceedings
ENTERPRISE Raghu Shetiye
Chandan Group
Real estate and beyond Raghu Shetiye takes Lyndon Pinto through his journey in the real estate field and his new venture – a complete real estate advisory firm, ‘Hello Patrao’.
H
ello Patrao! A typical way most people greet each other in Goa. Raghu Shetiye took this greeting one step further when he started a portal for the people of Goa as he thought that there is no good property portal in Goa. He says that his dream was to give more than what usual brokers do. Hello Patrao is part of Chandan Group that deals with real estate, trading, brokerage etc. Before starting a new wing in the company, Raghu was part of his family’s ancestral business – timber trading and packaging. “I started my real estate business
in 1997, until then, I was with by father looking after the ancestral family business of timber and packaging, but real estate was something that I was more inclined towards. I started with buying and selling of properties and that is how my business grew, as I formed a network of friends and associates. I forayed into joint venture projects and small apartments. From there, it gradually grew and I started my own company called Chandan Group,” says Raghu. Raghu is currently working on two projects – one is Goldbeam Residency at St. Cruz which has Firm name: Chandan Group Established in: 1997 Educational Qualifications: Diploma in Automobile Engineering Initial Investment: Rs.11000 Current Turnover: Rs. 5 Crores USP: Strong friend circle, honesty, transparency and hard work around 25 apartments and shops and the other is at Bastora which is a medium sized project of 25 villas and 20 residential apartments called Immaculate Gardens. Both are joint ventures with committed professionals. Chandan Group, he reiterates is part of the mother company called Chandan Wood industry which has been his ancestral business for close to 100 years. He states that when he started Chandan Group, he received a lot of support from his parents. “In 1997, I had an old Yamaha bike and I started marketing by going place to
Raghu Shetiye
28 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
place on that bike. Difficulties were abundant but the taste of success was sweet as ever. After marriage, my wife supported me tremendously. It is only because of the support that I received that I have managed to sustain myself.” The journey so far, he says, has been good as he believes that hardwork pays. “Your heart should be good and you should work hard. In 1997, when I started, I used to go visit properties from 7 in the morning to any time at night. I used to go visit the property see it for myself. These were hard times. Also a real estate broker’s title had no value, as almost every second person was a broker and there was no professional identity for them. It was difficult but I managed to create a name for myself and my reputation also helped. It took a while but I believe real estate marketing is not something that you can learn overnight. You need to understand the way it works and how things pan out.” Things have now changed for Raghu. He now has his own organisation, a panel of advocates, a team of architects and other professionals that he
works closely with. His core team now consists of 10 people. ‘Hello Patrao’ was started as a means to help people in the real estate field. If there is a dispute, the firm provide guidance, a lawyer, and advice – all for free. If there are court matters or legal proceedings then charges would be applicable. They also look after maintenance and upkeep of the property. “For example, if we get a call from a person in Portugal saying that he has a property at a certain place, but they know nothing about the property. Then we get a hold of all the paperwork, dig out information about the property and provide the party with complete list right from property value to the different uses of the property. We also provide parties with contact details for lawyers, architects etc,” says Raghu. When asked how he feels about his various projects, he says that every project is special and as you can see your company growing you feel good. “When we started, project costs were between Rs 2-3 lakhs. Currently our projects are in the region of Rs 10-15 crores.” “While studying, I had a dream of having a fleet of trucks
Immaculate Gardens, Bastora
then charges would be applicable. The advisory also looks after maintenance and upkeep of property.
and buses and garages which should probably indicate my choice of education, but once I completed my education due to the ongoing recession, my father sold all the vehicles and I had to join the family business. But there was still a zeal to do something of my own. That motivated me to get into the real estate field. Today, though we are thinking of getting back into the transportation sector, we are in a joint venture with a cousin from Mumbai who owns Arun Travels, which is the second largest school bus and transportation company in Maharashtra. We plan on providing transportation to company and factory workers especially to places like Verna and other industrial areas.” “With regards to ‘Hello Patrao’ and real estate consultancy growing in Goa, I would be happy if the government affords recognition to property brokers through the
form of licenses. This would streamline the system as well as give professional identity to brokers as currently everyone right from a taxi driver to a doctor, act as brokers. By providing licenses, the system would also provide revenue to the government through the payment of license fees as there are not less than 5000 brokers in Goa. Currently, there are a lot of forgeries, duping cases etc and unless the Government makes it official, this will never stop. I am in the process of drafting a letter to the Chief Minister regarding the same,” he adds. Raghu also believes that the Government should take steps to safeguard real estate in the State as with the collapse of mining, there is tremendous burden on other fields. In certain areas, there are a lot of protests against any sort of constructions. In areas such as Betalbatim, Colva and Varca, as soon as a builder
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Goldbeam Residency in St. Cruz
starts laying out plans, the local people start protesting. He as well as his peers say that real estate is close to collapsing in South Goa and that trend is beginning to enter the North, as well. Raghu concludes by saying “Real estate is something that
the government should seriously look into and if real estate collapses, there will be a major economic fallout in Goa”
www.businessgoa.net
15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 29
INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH
Kishore Shah
Initiator of the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards
“If we see a ray of sunshine we offer an emotional push to an organisation” Kishore Shah, Initiator of the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in the State, speaks to ALISHA PATEL about the journey and future of the Awards How did the idea of the CSR Awards come about? My father worked for a reputed automobile company, but he always looked at unions as more constructive, and he found that there is definitely more scope for corporates to play in doing charitable activities and look into welfare related issues of the society around them. After all, at the end of the day, basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are what is needed. What a person brings to a job is not only skill, but also a will too, and something has to be done to motivate this will so that an employee feels enthused about his or her job. I had a large quantum of my consulting career at Tata Motors and I have seen transformations happening through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Generally, corporates are very focused on making profits and when CSR was initiated, it was to encourage companies to look beyond profits, because their employees and customers are embedded in society around them. The first concept of CSR was that nothing should go wrong. Now, we are focused on what can be right. Nothing could go wrong had a tremendous impact on legislature. What I saw at the Tata Group was impressive. We encouraged role reversal and set up community centers in Pune and here the Operator became the Chairman of the Centre and the Manager was a member. So they not only experience the pleasure but also the pain behind the job, plus unknowingly self development also takes place. It all started with social interaction. Other initiatives by the Tata Group also acted like a trigger to me and when I came back to Goa, I felt I needed to do something for medium and small 30 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
We have received applications with distorted information and false facts. Though there is awareness, there is a fear of their data being made public and some corporates do not want to go public about their CSR activities. Personally, I feel that if a company is doing something good towards the society then they should be publicly lauded.
Kishore Shah
scale industries here. That’s where the idea of CSR awards grew and I wanted to provoke companies to take up CSR initiatives rather than merely evaluating what they have done. I don’t want it to be about power, but about a conscious attempt at social empowerment. How have the CSR Awards grown and taken shape over the years? I was fortunate to have crossed paths with Manguirish Pai Raiker. On on my own, I could only go a certain distance and Mangurish saw the potential in my idea and offered his support. Mangurish too, had a similar story inspired by his father, so we decided to institute awards in the name of our fathers, and then we approached the GTS (Green Triangle Society) as they are very close to industries and are closely monitoring the health and safety environment of industries which is a pre-requisite both inside
and outside the company. GTS found our initiative to be of value addition to their works and thus the Awards were initiated in 2008. We have two rolling trophies – one is for larger industries and the other for smaller industries. We invite applications from industries so that our teams can evaluate their works. Awards are currently given in the categories of health, education, community welfare, best work practices (which include labour welfare and other related issues) and environmental protection activities. How has the response been to the Awards? Right from the start, we had a very good response. This is growing steadily every year and this year we had close to thirty entries, however only sixteen qualified because unfortunately some companies are averse to the onsite audits and the scrutinizing that takes place.
How does the selection of awardees take place? Once an application has been accepted, the nominations are scrutinized on paper, through physical audit and then scores are given based on the assessment. We involve local colleges in this process and have engaged the BBA students of MES College, Vasco for this job. The jury then comprises of Matthew, Roy, Shetye (Vice Chancellor of Goa University), Director of RBI, Jaikish and myself. We don’t want to be too stringent when judging. Even if we see a ray of sunshine, we don’t mind giving an organization an emotional push. We are pushing for CSR activities to happen in small and medium scale industries. Do you feel that industries undertake enough of CSR activities in the State? I feel industries can do more. Sesa Goa and Syngenta have dedicated CSR officers. Earlier it was more out of philanthropy or fear of the damage to environment. Fear or interest made them take on CSR activities. However, we want it to be more out of interest. There is definite potential for large scale CSR activities. Over the last four years, I have noticed that documentation is very poor. It is just done for the event. Need analysis is not done. We have also seen very
Last year we felicitated Fr. Romualdo for his work for school dropouts and Asha Sawardekar for setting up an NGO for army widows. These individuals are corporates on their own innovative solutions to garbage problems, which take place in remote villages, which need to be highlighted and offered as an option to Corporates. There is a lot of goodwill in Goa, but the focus is low. Tell us about the sponsors for the Awards... For this event, Green Triangle Society is the title sponsor. Whatever money is collected through entry fees are distributed to the winners. That’s a call Manguirish Pai Raiker and I have taken. I pay for the trophies. Last year, we hosted a dinner at a five star hotel and was lucky enough to have an attendee foot the bill. Other than that, we do not pitch for sponsors. What is the support you receive from the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI)?
I have seen transformations happening through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Generally corporates are very focused on making profits and when CSR was initiated, it was to encourage companies to look beyond profits, because their employees and customers are embedded in the society around them
GCCI is very critical for the event because of the publicity that they create and they bring certain sanctity to it. The GCCI is the only trade organisation in Goa and their database helps us reach out to the right people and corporates. The jury and venue are both contributed by them in a big way. This year, we expect a lot from Manguirish as he heads both the GTS and the GCCI. Since CSR is all about corporates, the legitimacy would be largely from the GCCI. What are the future plans for the CSR Awards? We have already begun working on our future plans for the awards. We now want to honour individuals who have done something for society, which corporates can learn from. Last year we felicitated Fr. Romualdo for his work for school dropouts and Asha Sawardekar for setting
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up an NGO for army widows. These individuals are corporates on their own. This year, we have a few ideas of our own and are looking for an industry which is supporting old artists. We also want to look at entrepreneurs as they work to create employment in the society around them. We also feel one year is too short for the seeding process, and we have decided to hold the Awards every alternate year to allow corporates to breathe while working. I am not only looking at new CSR initiatives, but also at a continual growth in that direction. Goa has given me so much and I want to give back to Goa
The Voice of Business in Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 31
INDUSTRY
From humble beginnings in 1989, Metal Fabrik India has come a long way and today has two manufacturing units, one in Pilerne and the other in Betim. Though all their products are manufactured in Goa itself, they have two marketing office in Pune and Bangalore which look
Metal Fabrik India
The Mettle of Metal Fabrik India Harin Bhonsle, active Business Head of Metal Fabrik India takes ALISHA PATEL through the journey and works of the company
Avinash Bhonsle MD,with Harin Bhonsle
T
he history of metallurgy in India dates back to the second millennium BC. Archaeological sites in India such as Malhar, Dadupur, Raja Nala Ka Tila and Lahuradewa have yielded iron implements dating back to 1800-1200 BC. Over the centuries, wrought iron has proved to be tough, malleable, ductile and an easily welded metal. It is for this reason that till date, wrought iron is one of the most sought after metals in the country. Capitalizing on this is Metal Fabrik India. Established in 1989 and going strong over the last twenty three years, Metal Fabrik India has come a long way since its establishment. Started by Avinash Bhonsle, a mechanical engineer who brought to the table an abundance of experience gained from working on major projects in both India as well as abroad, the industry is now managed by his son Harin Bhonsle. Metal Fabrik India first started manufacturing wrought iron products such as gates, grills, wrought iron furniture etc. Right from the start, the company left no stone unturned to ensure that 32 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
they became the most trusted and preferred partner for their customer’s end to end interior and exterior needs. They soon gained reputation for being a premier wrought iron company across India and the Middle East. As time went by, newer metals and technologies emerged and these became immensely popular. To keep up with changing times and trends, Metal Fabrik India began production of stainless steel railings in 2001. “All our stainless steel products are modular in form and assembled with high-end fittings. These fittings are manufactured in house on high precision
Metal Fabric India Plant
CNC, horizontal and vertical machining centres for large volume production,” informs Harin. E x p l a i n i n g more about their products, Harin says that they offer a vast range of wrought iron products and a wide repertoire of stainless steel railing systems. “We have a classic range of ornamental grills, gates, staircase and balcony railings, balustrades and partitions which are manufactured in both wrought iron and brass. Year of Establishment 1989 Initial Investments Rs. 22 lakhs Current Turnover Rs 9.5 crores Major Clients Capt. Nair (Leela Hotels), Ramada, Taj, Holiday Inn Business Philosophy If we don’t already have what you need, we will build it for you and make your vision come alive We also offer all our products in a variety of colours and are all powder coated at our in house powder coating plant,” he states and goes on to explain that their range of stainless steel products are manufactured using
passivated stainless steel to ensure that natural oxide film if produced, which when in effect makes the metal, corrosion resistant. “Principally there is no form without function,” he says. “At the same time aesthetics, sophistication and appeal are not forgotten.” Metal Fabrik India also manufactures products that can be used inside the house. Chairs, tables, beds and bunk beds, dining sets, ornamental leaves and rosettes are some of their home range products. While Metal Fabrik India has gripped a large section of the market including the lifestyle markets, the hospitality industry and other big players, they still have to keep in mind threats from local fabricators. “While they may offer lower rates, there is a high risk involved with them. The quality of the finished product is often questionable and there is always the risk of them abandoning the job and the customer is required to spend precious time with them almost on a daily basis. There is also the slowdown in construction over the last two years which has affected us,” says Harin. Working with Metal Fabrik India as opposed to local fabricators also has the added advantage of their professional expertise and experience. Apart from customers preferring to opt for local fabricators due to the
VMC machine
after distribution of their products in other States. Metal Fabrik India’s products have also made their presence felt in the Middle East after completing a number of successful projects, there.
cost difference, Harin laments that growing boom in modular products and a low presence on social media are their only threats and weaknesses. Negative marketing too, has cost his company in the past. Not letting struggles get the better of him, Harin has employed a state of the art German technology, including high end CNC cutting machines, VMCs, Lathe Machines and special polishing and pipe bending machines to guarantee high end finished products and customer satisfaction. Breaking common misconceptions that wrought iron furniture is ‘ungainly and klutzy’, Harin says that wrought iron gates, grills, security doors and compound railings provide efficient and maximum security along with elegant designs and an aesthetic appeal. “The sturdiness and intricate structure
of these products guarantee functionality and gives a majestic look to a place at the same time. Once fitted, these products need minimal after care and maintenance costs are negligible. The products manufactured by the company are customized, simple, comfortable and exquisite, thus giving them a smooth, clean and modern look. From humble beginnings in 1989, Metal Fabrik India has come a long way and today has two manufacturing units, one in Pilerne and the other in Betim. Though all their products are manufactured in Goa itself, they have two marketing office in Pune and Bangalore which look after distribution of their products in other States. Metal Fabrik India’s products have also made their presence felt in the Middle East after completing a number of successful projects. “We have undertaken a large number of
projects, both commercial as well personal housing projects. At Metal Fabrik India, no two projects are the same, we give all our projects individual attention and work within our client’s constraints to give them the best that that we can offer,” says Harin. Some of their major clients have been BITS Pilani- Goa Campus, the Mormugao Port Trust, ICICI Bank, Pune and a number of five star resorts including Holiday Inn, Cidade de Goa, Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort, etc. “We are very committed to environmentally sustainable initiatives,” adds Harin, who states that their powder coating processes emit zero VOCs. They also work closely with their clients and suppliers to locate avenues to use their resources wisely and reduce their carbon footprint and their impact on
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Free standing glass railing for the Marriott, Pune
the environment. “At present our sales stand at Rs. 9.5 crores per annum and we have always remained one step ahead in our line of business by introducing new technologies and designs as well as participating in industrial exhibitions, both in India as well as abroad. If you take a look at our order book at any given time, it is full. I am very optimistic about the future and would like to enter into railway and airport markets,” concludes Harin
15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 33
GOAN BRAND
BODEGA
VANDANA NAIK
The alfresco cafe at Sunaparanta, Altinho-Panaji
The Cup Cake Lady M
Vandana Naik tells ALISHA PATEL what makes her cupcakes the talk of the town
Vandana Naik
After working at some of the biggest restaurants in New York, and serving high profile clients like George Clooney, Anna Wintour, George and Lara Bush, Beyonce, Mariah Carey and many more, Vandana returned to her hometown Goa to take dessert lovers by storm with her cupcakes 34 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
aybe it was a consequence of being a 60s child, born in the same year as Gordon Ramsay. Or maybe it is almost two decades of experience in the capital city of the world, New York, Vandana’s personality is like a bungee jump – precariously exciting, but at the same time firmly grounded. Her food, then, is no different. You can dive into completely unfamiliar territory, but rest assured that soulful, perfectly balanced flavours will instantly make it comfort food even if it’s the first time that you’ve had it in your life. After working at some of the biggest restaurants in New York and serving high profile clients like George Clooney, Anna Wintour, George and Lara Bush, Beyonce, Mariah Carey and many more, Vandana returned to her hometown Goa to take dessert lovers by storm with her cupcakes whose reputation has exceeded the expectations of even the most critical foodie around. Just out of high school, Vandana discovered her love and passion for baking and joined the Sophia College, Mumbai where
she completed a HAFT course and then went on to become an Associate in Culinary Arts from the CIA in New York. Her plethora of degrees may establish her credentials on paper, but it is the overwhelming response that her cupcakes receive that is the true mark of her popularity as a Chef, and the success of her cupcakes sold at her newly opened Café Bodega. Despite being a roaring success, Vandana remains humble as ever and laughs off questions about the secret of her cupcakes being the talk of the town and says, “I have no idea why!” However she goes on to add that a lot of time and effort go into testing and reworking recipes before she is satisfied with the quality of the product and puts it out on the shelves. Her recipes too, are different from the usual recipes used by everyone else having been worked on. They are not just recipes which have been picked up at random and carried out. In fact, the recipe to her red velvet cupcakes which sell at the speed of light is a combination of four different recipes.
Step into Bodega at any point of time and you will find at least three varieties of cupcakes available. But on range, Vandana makes at least twenty five different flavours. Vandana’s only regret about not having a wider range available is that not all the flavours work in the local market, as the Goan palette is not accustomed to certain flavours. After experimenting with other flavours, she found only a few to be selling, while the rest, she went to waste and as a result, she concentrates solely on her signature flavours which are Red Velvet, Chocolate and Mocha and an eggless Vanilla. “I would love to change a lot of things on the menu, but I cannot because I have to give the customer what they want,” she rues. “There have been cases when flavours did not click in the initial stages, but later people grew to love them,” she adds, hoping that she will be able to sustain more flavours in the future. Like every brand, Vandana’s cupcakes too, have their fair share of problems. The weather is a major player in deciding whether or not the cupcakes
The founder of Bodega says that she is not just a baker, she is a culinary artist, and with that in mind, she would love to have her own restaurant some day, a small one, serving comfort food, perhaps on the lines of an American bistro will remain moist or the frosting will melt, which adds to her challenge. Also, the constant change in ingredients means the end product may not be consistent with what they have always been serving their customers. “It is not easy to maintain consistency, but we try and do our best and I make sure that the entire team does a “taste test”. Ninety per cent of our products are consistent,” informs Vandana, who takes it to heart if she gets any negative feedback from her customers and ensures that she gets to the root of why the customer was dissatisfied with her cupcakes. She has even gone to the extent of reworking her recipes based on customer suggestions. Having worked abroad, Vandana has observed that in Goa, there is not necessarily a fierce competitive spirit. Unlike in New York where there was always stiff competition to
outshine other pastry chefs. Rather, everyone tries to copy each other. “You have to find your own market, I cannot be like any of the other cake shops; I cannot be complacent about my product. I welcome competition, as long as it is the right kind of competition,” says Vandana to firmly ascertain the reason why her cupcakes stand out from the rest. The name Bodega stands out for more reasons than one. Not only is it unique and subtly feminine, it was inspired by
Vandana’s stint in New York where every corner grocer was called a “Bodega” by the Spanish residents of the area. “A Bodega in Konkani would be more like a “Posro”, where one can pick up sandwiches and pastries among other eatables. It’s a remembrance of my hometown.” explains Vandana. Revealing her plans for the coming months, Vandana intends to introduce a new product every month, to try and keep things vibrant and dynamic. “At another café I worked at, we tried introducing a new product every day, but this did not work out and resulted in wastage and consequently losses. Here, I plan to try it on a monthly basis and also introduce a variety of filled
breads and maybe tapas in the evenings,” informs Vandana. Despite Bodega opening to a full huse, Vandana has no plans to branch out with more outlets. She feels the market for cupcakes is fairly small and with the introduction of more cafes, she will be splitting her own customer base. “Goa is only so small, and the number of people that go out to eat on a regular basis is even smaller. So breaking up my own market in the same space wouldn’t be logical and logistically, overheads would be a lot higher,” she explains. “I am not just a baker, I am a culinary artist, and with that in mind, I would love to have my own restaurant some day, a small one, serving comfort food, perhaps on the lines of an American bistro,” concludes Vandana, reassuring her customers that they can expect more of her mouth-watering dishes in the near future
15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 35
CAMPUS GOA
BOOK SHELF
“Change the Mindset” Program held at Saraswat College
Tamal Bandyopadhyay
Saraswat Vidyalaya’s Sridora Caculo College of Commerce and Management Studies along with ‘I Create India’ and Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry came together to organize an ‘I Create: Change the mindset’ workshop on Entrepreneurship Development for the students of the college. I Create is an award winning non-profit entrepreneurship and employability skills training organization and has technical partnership with New York based Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a highly reputed international entrepreneurship training organization. This joint initiative aims at entrepreneurship and will reach out to 18 colleges and 9,000 students spread across the State. The Chief Guest for the program was Mangurish Pai Raikar, Chairman of GCCI, and Guest of Honor, Manish Gosalia, Regional Coordinator and Master Trainer at I Create. The workshop was inaugurated by the principal Santosh Patkar and Course Coordinator Abhishek Karmali who addressed the seminar. The faculty at Saraswat Vidyalaya’s
Sridora Caculo College of Commerce and Management Studies, Rajeev Narvekar coordinated this workshop. The main idea of this program was to instill in the minds of the youth the idea of being your own boss and how to accomplish that and rise to the top. Different ideas for business plans were tossed around which made the seminar very interactive. The speakers also gave a brief about what exactly entrepreneurship is and how to go about it in the right manner beginning from the idea stage to the planning and execution stage. Detailed information concerning setting up of businesses was discussed during the interactive workshop. Mini activities were also arranged for the students to bring out their strengths. During the 3 day long session, students were divided into various groups and had to come up with a unique Business Plan that would stand out. Following this workshop, the students will get an opportunity to participate in a state level Business Plan competition
GIM score highest rank at CBSIFC The Goa Institute of Management (GIM) team headed by Prof. C M Ramesh and Prof. Hemant Padhiari topped the list of business schools in India by securing 645 points of 1000 at the Capstone Business Simulation International Fall Challenge 2012. GIM was also listed 3rd amongst the B-schools, globally. The challenge saw a total participation of 1800 students from more than 280 institutions around the world 36 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
some of which include S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune, Indian Institute of Management of Bangalore (IIMB), Bangalore, IIM, Ahmedabad, IIM ,Shillong and also international universities like University of Queensland, Curtin University, Webster University, USA, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom to name a few
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A Bank for the Buck Tamal Bandyopadhyay, one of the most respected business journalists in India. has come out with his first book ‘A Bank for the Buck’. This is the story of the birth and growth of India’s most valued Bank – HDFC Bank Ltd – against the backdrop of the new bank movement in India that started in 1994 when the Reserve Bank of India opened up the sector to introduce competition and to force banks to be efficient and more productive. “A Bank for the Buck” comes close on the heels of HDFC Bank turning eighteen in August 2012. In the odyssey of past eighteen years the book tries to showcase if life did turn out to be different for the HDFC bank’s employees, customers and investors. The entire journey of eighteen years the author has covered it as a story which is spread across thirteen chapters. By writing it as a story the author has kept it interesting by engaging the readers. The objective was not merely to come up with the bank’s history but to revolve a story about the making of this successful bank in India Publisher:
Jaico Publishing House
Classroom teaching goes hi-tech at Vasco’s Kendriya Vidyalaya I In order to reduce the burden of books on students and to provide a robust, vibrant and holistic school education system, the Kendriya Vidyalaya I based at Varunapuri, Mangor-Hill has gone high-tech by installing interactive boards consisting of a projector, visualiser and track pad which are connected to a computer. The Kendriya Vidyalaya I in Vasco is the first school in the State to have implemented this teaching technology. The institute has been selected by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan as one of the few pioneer schools among the existing 1090 schools throughout India for providing education through interactive boards.
The Vidyalaya has installed twelve interactive boards in the classrooms which have greatly helped the students. The principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya I, Roopa Katiyar said that the interactive boards have many benefits including easy navigation, also text can be highlighted/coloured easily and quickly. The board also allows touch recognition and combines the simplicity of a whiteboard and a computer. It lets teachers to deliver dynamic lessons and meets the purpose of hands-onlearning. The boards are multi sensory and so it is very easy to capture an inquisitive child’s attention. It also allows spurt in creativity and easily motivates students
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professional dossier
“Though I am an orthopedic surgeon, I specialize in children’s fractures and treat their bones without the use of heavy anesthesia. This not only saves money, but is also safer for the child”
DR BONNY PEREIRA, orthopedic surgeon
The Bone Supremacist Dr Bonny Pereira
Looking back over the years, I feel quite content with what I have done and achieved, and have now immersed myself in social work and doing something good for the town that I live in. Along with a few other concerned citizens, we have started the ‘Mapusa Nagrik Samiti’ and we put forth our ideas for the development of the town
38 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
I
was lucky to be born in a family which valued education more than anything else. Despite being a sportsman and having represented Goa in Table Tennis, Badminton, Football and having the honoured reputation of being the fastest runner in Goa, I took up medicine. My decision to study medicine was more as a result of scoring well in my Higher Secondary exams, but I consider it to be the best decision that I ever made. After graduating in 1961, I worked under Dr. Mahanke, one of the best orthopedic surgeons, for five years. It was under his able guidance that I was moulded to be the person that I am today, as he shaped me when I was still young and fresh. In the course of time, I was presented with an opportunity to go abroad, and not being one to miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime, I jumped at it and moved to the United States where I worked under some of the best doctors in that country before settling in Europe, where too, I was blessed with opportunities that don’t knock on too many people’s doors. In
1995, after working extensively in Vienna, Berne, U.K and Saudi Arabia, I felt it was time to return to my homeland as my wife and son wanted to come back to Goa. So we returned to Goa and in 2000, I set up the Pereira Medicare and Research Centre. Though I am an orthopedic surgeon, I specialize in children’s fractures and treat their bones without the use of heavy anesthesia – this not only saves money but is also safer for the child. Though parents are skeptical about this method of operating, once I have gained the trust and confidence of the child, it is a simple and quick procedure. Throughout my life I count myself very lucky as I was born into a very good family who made sure that they provided everything they could for me. Career wise too, I have always worked under some of the best doctors and while I was in Saudi, I was cited by the King for performing a rare operation on the Queen. Coming back to Goa, and re-connecting with my network of close friends made me realize that with everyone’s support I no longer needed to work full time. I could sit back, relax and look after my patients at the same time. My biggest blessing till date is my family and friends. I am fortunate to have Jennifer, my wife who has stood by me at all times and has been there for me throughout my journey. Together we have raised three sons, one who is a doctor, the other an advocate and the last, an HR associate at a five star resort. I have a strong set of friends from different walks of life, whom I still keep in touch with. These to me, are my biggest and most valuable assets. Professionally, my biggest sources of inspiration have been Dr. Dhokale from Mumbai, Dr. Sanjay from Pune and Dr. Girish Patel from Boston – all doctors under whom I have worked. They have been my
mentors and guides along the way and have helped shape my career. Some of my biggest achievements I would say are my inclusion in the prestigious International Federation of Sports Medicine, which is strongly committed to the promotion, study and development of sports medicine throughout the world. I am also a member of some of the world’s most renowned medical associations including the British Association of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association of Vienna. In India, I am a member of the Indian Rheumatology Association and the Goa Orthopaedic Society. As an active and concerned citizen for the environment, I have founded the Goa Environment Action Group and the Mapusa Active Citizen’s Union. Another feat that I must mention is to have completed the study of medicine at the tender age of twenty; where as the average age to graduate is twenty four. I have also performed some rare hip surgeries. I am not only an orthopedic surgeon; I am also a sports physician. While I was in Saudi Arabia, I was the sports doctor for the national team. I treat players from reputed local teams like Dempos and Salgaocars. Looking back over the years, I feel quite content with what I have done and achieved, and have now immersed myself in social work and am doing something good for the town that I live in. Along with a few other concerned citizens we have started the ‘Mapusa Nagrik Samiti’ and we put forth our ideas for the development of the town. We are yet to see how the Government reacts to them. I also look after the youth in my neighbourhood by trying to provide employment for them As told to ALISHA PATEL
LADY POWER
The Keshwar Academy of Learning started off as a school mostly working with younger grade students, but under Liza’s able leadership and guidance, it has grown leaps and bounds and is now a recognized Cambridge school conducting A level exams
Liza Chowgule
“It is unfair that society judges students on the basis of their examination score” Liza Chowgule, founder of the Keshwar Academy of Learning speaks to ALISHA PATEL about her journey through the field of education and her plans for the school
...with Students
Liza Chowgule
L
iza is the best.” “Liza always has a smile on her face and words of encouragement for us.” “She makes studies interesting.” “Liza is one of the warmest, most genuine people I have come across.” These are just some of the sentiments echoed by students and their parents, of the Keshwar Academy of Learning and the ITTC school, Vasco on the school’s founder, Liza Chowgule. Education always held a special place in Liza Chowgule’s life. Having studied in some of the best schools across the world, Liza was captured by the traditional yet conventional method of teaching at the Presentation Convent in Kodaikanal. Here, the students had a lot to say in what they wanted to learn and what they did not. After studying Psychology from the prestigious Sophia College in Mumbai, Liza went on to complete a teacher’s training program. From there, she worked at a reputed school in Bangalore before relocating to 40 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
the United Kingdom where she studied the ‘Waldorf Method of Education’. She finally dropped anchor in Goa after her marriage to Umaji Chowgule, Liza found it hard to work in a regular teaching environment and after a short stint working in a local school; she started the Keshwar Academy of Learning in 1992, which imparted education using the Waldorf Method. As students progressed and had to mingle back into the main stream education system, adapting to the prevailing exam system was something new to the students and coming from a background where they did not answer exams, proved a challenge. “In a society that judges students based on exams, it was a tough decision to make to introduce exams in school, but after a lot of deliberation, I expanded the school and started the ITTC school which followed the Cambridge method of evaluation,” Liza explains. “In Vasco, I have this image of being a strange person who does strange things”, she chuckles and goes on to add that over the years, after seeing what she does, this perception is slowly changing. “When I first introduced this system of
education, it was unheard of in Goa and yes, it was a bit of a struggle to establish myself
Being a woman in a field that requires an immense amount of time and dedication is no easy task, but this has never been a hurdle for Liza who says that she has been very lucky and blessed to have a very supporting family and the school, but through dedication and hard work I was able to pull through and have created a name for myself and the KAL School.” The KAL School started as a school mostly working with younger grade students, but under Liza’s able leadership and guidance it has grown leaps and bounds and is now a recognized Cambridge school conducting A
level exams. She has also roped in the best of staff, who she says have been the backbone of the school. “I have had teachers who have worked here in the past who call me to tell that they cannot find another school like mine. I really wish I could pay the teachers more than we do right now, they really deserve it,” she says. Being a woman in a field that requires an immense amount of time and dedication is no easy task, but this has never been a hurdle for Liza who says that she has been very lucky and blessed to have a very supporting family. “My family has always been with me and made life very easy for me. If it weren’t for their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she reflects. While every professional has their fair share of ups and downs, Liza recollects that personally she has never faced any major setbacks. “My school is everything to me. If I have to pick an instance where I do find myself in a pickle, it would be finding land to build a full-fledged, unified campus where everyone can study under one roof. Right now, we function from three independent bungalows, and it is my dream to give the students and teachers a proper learning and teaching environment,” she says. Liza goes on to wistfully add that red tapism has hit her in the past with accusations of breaking rules through the way the Keshwar Academy of Learning functions. “My future lies in the school,” Liza says with a smile. “I want to set it up the way I see it in my mind before I can hand it over to the next generation to run. I am content where I am at the moment but my only wish is for a new campus for my children,” she concludes with a smile
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A Grand Festive Season at Grand Hyatt Goa
Throughout the holiday season, The Grand Hyatt Goa has gone all out to make sure that your celebrations are grand for the grander start to the New Year! Treat yourself to Christmas goodies, specially created by Chef Nicole Illa and her elves. Indulge in traditional Christmas puddings and cakes, stollen bread, ginger bread houses, cookies and much more at the Confeitaria. By popular demand, the Children’s Christmas Party is back. The Palace Lawns will ring with laughter and fun on December 15 as your little ones tumble down the bouncy castle, chase the clown and get enchanted by the magician. And as their painted faces gleam with
joy, Santa will bring gifts for the naughty or nice! Sundays just got grander with the Champagne Sunday Brunch. Bubbles and Jazz make spirits soar as Jazz artistes perform live! Soak in the joy of Christmas as Grand Hyatt Goa prepares every detail to make sure that you have a wonderful time. Sing along with carol singers and make it a Christmas Eve to remember forever! Let the magic of Christmas fill your hearts as serenaders bring back beautiful nostalgic melodies. Indulge in a scrumptious buffet of International and European cuisine and of course, the much awaited Christmas desserts. Christmas Day would be incomplete without the Grand Christmas Day Brunch. Celebrate this day of love, peace and joy with your close family and friends. Let the grand buffet compliment your joyous spirit as the chefs lay out delicacies from the South East Asian, Middle Eastern, Italian and Indian cuisine. You are going to be spoilt for choices with the all time favourite specialties and must-have desserts. Ring in 2013 in style at the Black and White New Year’s Eve party. With a live band led by Rodney to get you into
the groove, DJ Peppy in the house to set the tempo blazing, performers to entertain and fireworks to sparkle the night sky… this is your night! Amidst all the revelry, don’t forget to enjoy the lavish buffet including premium alcoholic beverages. Bask in the warmth of the New Year’s afternoon sun as it fills your heart with fun, love
and hope for the New Year! A very special brunch of French Champagne and a rich selection of wine over the most exquisite spread of five cuisines with people you love awaits you for the perfect start to a new year For all festive related queries and reservations call the Festivity Desk on 0832 301 1332
Sunburn ready to rock Goa Percept Limited, promoters of the Sunburn festival, have announced the dates of their marquee and much-anticipated annual Goa festival. Sunburn remains on 27-28-29 December 2012, the same dates that have become synonymous with the festival, and will once again take place in North Goa this year. Sunburn continues to dominate as Asia’s most anticipated and foremost music festival which attracts multiplied audiences year after year from different nations with its’ credibility built on the pillars of massive audience patronage. The event has carved an overwhelming dwelling in the minds of the youth and the hearts
of music lovers. After 5 successful years, Sunburn gets bigger. Percept Limited introduces two unique properties – a boutique live music festival ‘Windsong’ which will be held on December 24 and 25 as the opening event and closing event will also see the launch of ‘Superstar New Year’s Eve Gig’. ‘It doesn’t get bigger than this!’ says Shailendra Singh, Joint MD Percept Ltd
Festive Season at Park Hyatt Goa This season, ring in the festivities at Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa with an exquisite array of offerings that will leave you with truly cherished memories of the holiday season. No festive celebration is complete without traditional Yuletide treats at the table. The chefs at Park Hyatt have put together a selection of only the finest that you may pre-order from. Take your pick from ginger bread houses, fruit cake, plum pudding, cookies, chocolate
Santa Claus or Angel; apple and sweet bread stuffing or delicious savouries like Christmas mince pies; honey and rosemary glazed whole ham; butterball turkey, chestnut and sausage stuffing; roasted duck. Also available is a Park Hyatt Italian Christmas hamper which includes Garofalo pasta; Balsamic vinegar; Amarene Fabbri; among others. Celebrate Christmas Eve over a magical evening under the stars with an unforgettable festive feast. Dancing, live music
Read the Voice of Business in Goa 42 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
by Sky High and DJ Merwin, and a whole lot of merriment with your loved ones, ensures you leave with cherished memories. Pay tribute to the year gone by and raise a toast to the new one at our glamorous Masquerade Ball on New Year’s Eve. A celebratory menu, signature cocktails and live entertainment by Crimson Tide and DJ Merwin ensure you welcome the year 2013 Park Hyatt style. For more information and reservations, call +
91 8322721234, or e-mail parkhyattgoa@hyatt.com
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Christmas comes alive at the Goa Marriott Resort and Spa Experience the world of Hansel and Gretel with a life-size version of the Christmas classic, the Gingerbread House, at the lobby of the resort. Inside, you will rediscover sugar and spice and all things nice, with an extensive array of cakes, puddings, hampers and other goodies. The Cake Shop and AZ.U.R offer a festive indulgence in a variety of Christmas delights including the Marzipan Stollen, Dundee Cake, Chocolate Yule Log, Date Pudding and even a lip-smacking Chocolate Santa or Snowman! Pamper your loved ones with generously laden Gift Hampers from The Cake Shop. Select from the Platinum, Gold and Silver hampers, which contain all that is characteristic of Christmas. This all will culminate in a carolrousing, delicious brunch on 25th December, a grand Christmas
station and much more. The next day, guests can wake up to a leisurely New Year’s Day brunch at the
Waterfront Terrace and Bar and unwind through an afternoon of good food and more music
Green Buildings for a Green Goa by CII and igbc
Day roast turkey brunch and a magnificent Christmas dinner will be served at Waterfront Terrace and Bar. Goa Marriott Resort & Spa is known for its extravagant New Year Parties. And it’s that time of the year again, and this year, its Black and Bling at the Goa Marriott Resort and Spa. Guests will be able to dance all night to the music by Tidal Wave and DJ Ryan Nogar. There will be an array of food that includes favourites in grills, Mezze Station, Aussi BBQ, Pasta and Thai counters, even a Biryani
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Goa Chapter had the 1st conference on ‘Green Buildings for a Green Goa’ last year which was a great success that evoked tremendous response where 30 eminent speakers from across India addressed an audience of around 450 delegates. To mainstream the green business movement and enable the State of Goa to emerge as a major player in green buildings/revolution for a major transformation, the CII Goa Chapter is organizing the 2nd Conference on “Next Wave of Green Practices” The aim of the Conference
is to enhance the use of Green practices and concepts in the manufacturing, service and hospitality industry, to showcase latest global trends, concepts, innovative green technologies, green building products, equipment and services, to facilitate green businesses and provide a platform for networking, thereby exploring new business opportunities. The event this year, would focus on green manufacturing, green and eco tourism, green/alternate energy, green infrastructure in corporate and residential arena. The Conference will be held on January 19 2013. For details contact john.fernandes@cii.in
15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 45
HR MANTRAS
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Minimise Meetings More meetings does not mean more productivity. But often, a situation to the contrary
25% Formal Meetings
Y
75% Informal Motivations
No team leader should schedule their time so rigidly that there is no time to deal with the unforeseen problems and issues that inevitably arise on a daily basis
ou can tell a badly run organization. Nobody is ever available. People are always in meetings. Furthermore, they are so busy (attending meetings) that it can take three months to get an appointment to see them. Everyone seems to get involved in everything. Some employees struggle to get to see their bosses because they are always in meetings. This can be very damaging. Problems go unresolved and bosses lose The Biz Step Be ruthless: Abolish all meetings that you personally consider are a waste of time. Similarly, refuse to attend any meetings where your contribution will be minimal. The Biz Point The more meetings a company has, the less individual accountability there is in that company
46 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
touch with reality – all because of meetings. This invariably leads to a high degree of demotivation. The number of meetings should therefore be kept to a minimum. No team leader should schedule their time so rigidly that there is no time to deal with the unforeseen problems and issues that inevitably arise on a daily basis. A rule of thumb is that the maximum amount of time scheduled for meetings in a manager’s diary should be 25 percent ideally less. In restricting the number of meetings, the following minimal approach is suggested: 1. Daily team meetings, maximum 15 minutes, standing up. The sole purpose of these meetings should be to inform each other of what happened the previous day. There should be no discussion other than clarifications. Anyone can attend irrespective of status, department, and where they work.
2. Weekly team meetings, maximum half an hour, sitting down. The purpose of these meetings should be to review the previous week’s performance and prepare for the forthcoming week. 3. Monthly team meetings, maximum three hours, sitting down. The purpose of these meetings should be to consider and decide on longer-term issues. 4. Two off-site retreats a year, one eight hours non-residential and the second twenty-four hours residential. The purpose of these is to review and develop strategies for the coming year. 5. Individual (one-to-one) faceto-face, one-hour sessions once a month for review of individual progress and discussion of individual issues. Committees should be avoided like the plague, for the simple reason that they are normally devoid of individual accountability. The majority of committees are boring talkshops where little listening goes on, even less understanding is created, and, what is worse, where few meaningful decisions are made. Even when decisions are made, the follow-through is inadequate. Committees find it difficult to hold an individual accountable for any action committed to in committee. So things do not get done when committees decide. Expressed another way, it is rare to find genuine commitment in a committee. Commitment is best found in teams with great leaders who hold themselves accountable for the contribution that they have agreed to make. As a general rule of thumb, the companies that have the fewest committees and the fewest formal meetings are those that have the most motivated employees
love for business
Everyone is not the same. And everyone won’t believe in the same things that you do. You may think that you are right. When you have a choice of people you work with, choose wisely. When you don’t, learn how to adapt. Learn to persuade them better
The Human Factor We should be able to keep our personal prejudices aside in order to get along with people
Swapnil Kamat The Columnist is a corporate trainer and manages his own consultancy www.workbetterindia.com
M
The minute people are not like us, specially when it comes to our core beliefs and values, we tend to have a lot of conflicts with them
ost, if not all, business involves dealing with other human beings. We are interacting with other human beings all the time in the form of customers, subordinates, bosses, investors, colleagues. Some job profiles involves more of these interactions like sales, customer service, HR). Some, to a lesser extent – research professionals, artists. Irrespective of what you do, you cannot escape dealing with other human beings on the work front. Therefore, I believe that your success in business and in your life depends on your ability to deal with other human beings. While dealing with other human beings there are 2 inherent contradictions: 1. Every human being that you meet at the workplace or otherwise is different. Different in the genes. Different in their upbringing. Different with their beliefs and values. 2. People like people who are like or similar to them. We always expect people to deal with situations in the way that we would have dealt with situations, ourselves. We expect our behaviour to be their behaviour. The first thought in any situation
is “what would I do if I was in their place?”. If what they do matches what you would, they win your mental approval leading you to get along or like that person. The minute people are not like us, specially when it comes to our core beliefs and values, we tend to have a lot of conflicts with them. We don’t get along. We bicker and quarrel and in that bargain, work just does not happen. To deal with this successfully, we need to be more tolerant. We become tolerant when we have a good temperament. The more we grow and get along with life, the more we will meet people who are not like us. If you cannot handle these people, you will find it difficult to progress. If you have a choice, well don’t deal with such people. But when you don’t, you need to know how to do it. The fundamental to this is being tolerant towards the differences. The minute you are not tolerant to differences you will end up getting angry, getting upset and disrespectful of the person on the other side. That does not help anyone. For example: if a particular
vendor for example, a graphic designer does not believe in sticking to the commitments that he gives you about delivery etc and then does not answer your calls. Repeatedly. Now that may be something that you would never do to your clients. So it is bound to make you angry. My suggestion is to find another graphic designer over the long run. Because if sticking to commitments is something that irritates you a lot, it’s not going to work out working with that person in the long run. So look for someone else who believes in what you believe. Then working will be a lot easier. Till you find that vendor, ensure that you are patient and tolerant towards the current vendor because creating bad blood and being disrespectful is not going to help you. It’s going to be difficult finding someone who delivers great work and also believes in a lot of your values. That’s the whole issue. And hence when you find people who do, you have to keep them close to your organisation. The same thing goes with your team/subordinates. If you believe in constantly growing as your biggest value and they don’t, ensure that you don’t loose your cool. Everyone is not the same. And everyone won’t believe in the same things that you do. You may think that you are right. When you have a choice of people you work with, choose wisely. When you don’t, learn how to adapt. Learn to persuade them better. And do this all keeping in mind the fact that everyone is different 15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 47
reluctant entrepreneur
I used to notice that employees would quit the company on the 7th of the month, after collecting their pay. I assume they felt that if they quit earlier, they may not have got paid. We made it a point to pay the salary for the 7 days that they put in their work
Building workforce trust
What it takes to build workforce trust and how common management mistakes are made and how they should be accepted and corrected
Blaise Costabir The Columnist is a first-generation entrepreneur whose company manufactures the Shakti brand of water tanks
One of the interesting feature of man management is an ability to accept that management makes mistakes and that these mistakes must be acknowledged and corrected if possible
H
ow an organisation will respond to disciplinary issues will be decided while in its infancy. If at the start, the boss is strict or lenient, it will set the tone for the organisational culture in future. Discipline to my mind, is a function of trust that the employees have in their management. Handling, my first brush with a potential disciplinary situation as an entrepreneur, went in my 48 Business Goa
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favour and set the tone in a good way. One morning, I noticed that none of the workers had entered the factory even though it was time. I went out and found that 10 odd employees were standing in a group. One of them brusquely told me that my supervisor had instructed them to enter from a particular gate and since it was not open, he said they were waiting, despite the fact that another door was open. Two thoughts were screaming in my head, how could this worker speak to me in this tone? Was I not the Boss? The other, knowing that he was making a valid point. One was a reflection of the irritation that I felt because the work had not started in time and the other was the voice of reason. I suppressed the irritation and focused on the reason. I ignored the tone and focused on what was being said. I reasoned with myself that since he had no particular training in speaking, he was making his point as best as he could and to his mind he was doing the right thing – following instructions, while believing the rule to be unreasonable. I asked him whether it would be better to talk to me about his views on the rule of using a particular gate, rather than trying to grab my attention by stopping work? Would it not be better to take 5 minutes to discuss the issue while the shift was on? He agreed. So I asked him to go in through the open door with the other workers and start the shift, while promising to talk to the supervisor and finding out why he had made such a rule. This set the tone – dialogue was the key to resolving any issue, stopping or hampering work was not a solution and most importantly, supervisors were important. Had I focused on the
tone, the matter perhaps, would have taken a different turn. Had I forced them to go through the open door, the supervisor would have got undermined and in future when he said something, it would have been disregarded. By shifting the focus to dialogue, we set the tone and it has worked for us. After 17 years of operations, we have not lost a man day owing to stoppage of work. The other interesting feature of man management is an ability to accept that management makes mistakes and these mistakes must be acknowledged and corrected, if possible. Increments are normally announced 3 to 4 months after the due date, for reason of delay in evaluations, but they are paid with effect from the due date. However, one year it was brought to our notice that overtime was calculated at the old rate and now since the new rates were retrospective, the overtime should be recalculated and the difference be paid. The advice available that since
it is difficult to recalculate the same should be ignored as the amount would anyway not be much. What I saw was the fact that “trust” was involved, the employees agreed to a delay in increments to accommodate our evaluation procedure because they believed it caused no loss to them. Therefore it was not the amount in question but the principle. We recalculated the overtime and paid the difference. A small amount, but a large step towards building trust. I also used to notice that employees quit the job on the 7th of the month, after collecting their pay. I assume they felt that if they quit earlier, they may not have got paid. We made it a point to pay the salary for the 7 days. The message went out to those who were still with us that we were not going to short change the employees. Nevertheless, the practice of quitting on pay day no longer exists. Be firm and fair and your new year will surely be good. Happy New Year
Goan by nature
People often ask me, does Subhash Chandra, the pioneering and maverick media entrepreneur still run the group in spite of the fact that his son Punit Goenka has been the CEO of Zee Telefilms Ltd for more than three years, and has done a great job taking the company forward
Is India ready for the hands-off founder?
Shifts in entrepreneurial trends and how founders of businesses are working towards giving up operational control
Anurag Batra Punit Goenka with Subhash Chandra The Columnist is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Exchange4Media Group. He is an entrepreneur, journalist, internet evangelist and media expert all rolled into one
Is it the nature of Indian enterprises that they will always be controlled and remote controlled by their founder or is that an illusion in India?
E
ntrepreneurs, big or small, treat their enterprise like a child that they have brought up and nurtured. They like to always look after it, even when the kid grows up and matures. The entrepreneur of today wants to put his enterprise on autopilot mode in a serious sense someday, so that he can do either or all of the things I mention here. First: not overlord or overarch his able team and suffocate them. Second: enjoy his successes and have fun (read and lecture at conferences). Third: go and build multiple businesses. The entrepreneur also realizes that what got him here won’t get him to the next level. Besides, he enjoys creation and nurturing more than maintenance. With his successors (including his children) growing and looking to fill key roles, he has to avoid being there in a full time and operational way so that his successors can grow into the role ably. “Ek mayaan mein do talwaar nahin rahti”. He or she also may fear that his kids might not be upto the mark or may take longer to adjust; hence he needs to create a management structure that works if he or she is not there. I hear that India’s No. 1 business person and
entrepreneur Mukesh Ambani is championing his being redundant “operationally” in his company. If Mr. Ambani is thinking like this, does it represent a radical shift in thinking of Indian entrepreneurs? Will this trend get accentuated? What are the larger implications of this trend for the entrepreneurial ecosystem? At what stage should an entrepreneur try to make himself or herself redundant? Reliance Industries is a giant amongst giants and has deep pockets to experiment, but what does it mean for other mid-sized or smaller entrepreneurs and do they feel the same? What is the difference between a promoter making himself redundant at the board level and having board level decision making being delegated at professional CEO levels? What if it doesn’t work and takes the company in a downward spiral? Sometime ago, a leading industrialist told me that instead of family members, his company hires professional managers, as one cannot fire shareholders and family members. If and when Mr. Ambani succeeds in his “redundancy” project, or shall we call it “The Daring Entrepreneur Leadership Project,” does it mean he and the Reliance board will leave Billion
Dollar strategic decisions to this entrepreneurial leadership. Is Mr. Ambani readying for his son to take over in 10 years? People often ask me, does Subhash Chandra, the pioneering and maverick media entrepreneur still run the group in spite of the fact that his son Punit Goenka has been the CEO of Zee Telefilms Ltd for more than three years, and has done a great job taking the company forward. They still think it’s Subhash Chandra who runs it, not understanding that he is there for inspiration and support and it should be that way. Is it the nature of Indian enterprises that they will always be controlled and remote controlled by their founder or is that an illusion in India? We hope Mr. Ambani’s redundancy project succeeds and becomes a model for other entrepreneurs to emulate. We are watching. Hope Mr. Ambani and Mr. Chandra can say what Peter Powell said, “It looks like being a busy weekend on the ferries, particularly Saturday and Sunday”
The Voice of Business in Goa 15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 49
SERVING ACES
The power of visualizing your goal and the act of writing it down on paper is undisputed and simply awesome! And yet, over a whopping 90% of adults do not bother to do it. What’s painful to note is that these same adults will spend an inordinate amount of time to
Get… Set… Goal! Pursuing a goal gives your life a direction and energizes you as you inch towards it
Nilesh Amonker The Writer is a natural entrepreneur. An alumnus of the prestigious Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, he traverses diverse businesses like info-tech and real estate.
T
he purpose of life is a life of purpose. Without a purpose or goal in life, your life is bereft of any meaning and you just tend to drift aimlessly in no particular direction. On the other hand, pursuing a goal gives your life direction, energizes you and as you progress towards it, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction; it boosts your confidence, makes you happy and eventually paves the way to a fulfilled life. In a study conducted several years ago at the Harvard Business School, students from the graduating class were asked if they had any written goals and if yes, what those goals were. Only about three percent of the students had actually written down their goals. Ten years later, when the students were interviewed again, it turned out that the entire group of 3% who 50 Business Goa
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had written down their goals had in fact achieved all of them and were leading far more fulfilling lives. Of course there were scattered successes in the balance 97% as well, but what is significant is that the group of 3% were earning, on an average, ten times as much as the other 97% of graduates all together! The power of visualizing your goal and the act of writing it down on paper is undisputed and simply awesome! And yet, over a whopping 90% of adults do not bother to do it. What is painful to note is that these same adults will spend an inordinate amount of time to meticulously plan their thirty days of annual vacation but will drift aimlessly through thirty years of their life without as much as putting pen to paper to decide where they would like to go! Remember, it’s not only far easier and quicker but a lot more fulfilling and satisfying to arrive at your destination when you know where you are headed rather than to aimlessly wander and call any place that you reach your destination! There’s a story of a wandering lad who stopped by the roadside to ask a farmer where the road ahead would take him. The farmer asked the lad, where he wanted to go. “Err, I dunno where, anywhere is fine”, he replied. The wise old farmer turned to him and remarked, “My son, if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there!” Personally, I think goal setting as a concept is never given any importance and people tend to dismiss it as mere hog wash and even sneer at it! While you too, might be tempted to discount the idea as an exercise in vain and purely as a concept that people write and read about in management journals, believe you me, it’s a concept that works and works like magic, at that. The simple act of writing what you want, refocuses and
aligns your mental resources sub-consciously. Immediately you start noticing things related to your goal with no conscious attempt from your end and opportunities and things that would have not even registered otherwise start showing up. It is akin to a common experience that we all go through – when we are contemplating buying any item or you develop a desire to acquire something, we consciously or sub-consciously develop an image or a visual in our mind of what it is that we want and this immediately triggers an area in your brain called the reticular cortex. The reticular cortex was responsible for the acute sense of imminent danger that our hunter-gatherer ancestors developed to survive and keep safe from predators. Once the reticular cortex understands what’s important to you, it puts it on the radar of your mind and filters all the sensory stimuli that you receive to highlight and draw your attention to the
items that have been registered as “important”. Back then, predatory dangers were of paramount importance and kept our ancestors alive. With no predatory dangers encountered any longer in our day to day life, this part of our brain remains largely unused and can be exploited very well to alert us to what we consider as important. For instance, if it’s a red Maruti that you are considering buying, the reticular cortex understands that a red Maruti car is now important to you and filters all the stimuli that your sensory organs receive and channels anything related to a red Maruti to your conscious mind. Immediately you start noticing red Maruti cars everywhere you go. You even start noticing promotional mails related to Maruti cars in your email box which would have otherwise been relegated to the Spam folder or simply trashed! The same thing happens when you are contemplating a trip to go see the great pyramids of
meticulously plan their thirty days annual vacation but will drift aimlessly through thirty years of their life without as much as putting pen to paper to decide where they would like to go! Giza and the Sphinx; you begin to notice pictures and posters of Egypt everywhere you look, your attention gets automatically drawn to any conversations about Egypt! You even notice the press write-ups about the violent protests in Cairo which otherwise, would perhaps not have caught your attention at all. The transformation has happened naturally in your brain and is not conscious at all – it is completely sub-conscious. The simple act of visualizing a goal and putting it on paper, alerts the reticular cortex and serves as a constant reminder of what is important to you. Hereon, the reticular cortex picks up every little piece of information related to your goal and draws your attention to it. No opportunity now goes unnoticed and hopefully as you exploit the opportunities presented, you move unerringly closer to your target. Of course, all this works only if you have a goal to start with! It’s a little like trying to
climb a mountain. Yes, the climber certainly needs to be mentally and physically fit, needs the right gear and equipment, needs a map and a route and good weather, too – but what is most important is the mountain itself. Without a mountain to scale, the best gear would be of very little use and no amount of obsessing over the equipment or good weather would help! The tragedy in life is not in not attaining your goals – the tragedy is having no goal to reach. That would be like a rudderless ship with no direction. After all, no wind ever blows in favour of a ship without a destination. Would you rather have a hit and miss approach to your life based on pure chance or would you much rather give wings to your dream, define a goal and chalk out an action plan? Remember, the whole world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going! Van Gogh summarized this beautifully when he said, “First I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream”. Don’t you think it’s time to paint yours?
The Voice of Business in Goa
www.businessgoa.net 15 DECEMBER 2012
Business Goa 51
BON APPÉTIT
Zeebop By the Sea utorda
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The lazy beachside haunt
Zeebop By the Sea offers the best of ‘Underwater Treasures’ finds ALISHA PATEL
Z Sergio Dias
The cool sea breeze, the sound of waves lashing against the shore, live music, the rustic décor – all blend together to create the perfect dining experience
Butter garlic lobster
52 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
eebop By the Sea. This shack cum restaurant which began in 1992 has carved out a niche for itself and is world famous for its seafood preparations, peaceful ambience and the restaurant’s capabilities to cater to anyone and everyone. Owner Sergio Dias, says that being from the hotel busines and having a plethora of experience inspired him to open his own place and since then there has been no looking back. Needless to mention that Zeebop is a regular haunt of Bollywood biggies including Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan, Priyanka Chopra, among others. “We also host beach weddings. We recently played host to Bollywood actor Anil Dhawan’s daughter’s wedding,” says Sergio. Nestled between popular 5 star resorts on the pristine Utorda beach, this restaurant can easily be missed; but missing it is truly a foodie’s
loss. Talk to any true seafood lover about where you get the best and freshest seafood and the immediate reply is more often than not, Zeebop By the Sea. So out to see what makes people rave about the restaurant, I headed to this seafood landmark with a blank mind and a hungry stomach. As soon as you enter you are taken aback by the sights and sounds around you. The cool sea breeze, the sound of waves lashing against the shore, live music, and the hustle and bustle of waiters running to and from the kitchen and the rustic décor all blend together to create the perfect dining experience. Upon being seated at a scenic, sea-facing table, owner Sergio suggested ordering a variety of seafood starters, and so we decided to go with the Tiger prawn Recheado, batter fried squids and Fish Tikka. Perfectly fried squids, a moist
Butter garlic prawns
yet well grilled fish and the most delectable and tangy tiger prawns coated our palette and were immediately devoured. Having relished some of the best offerings from what Zeebop aptly calls ‘underwater treasures’ we could not wait for the main course. In came Jumbo Tiger prawns and a Lobster cooked in butter garlic sauce and accompanied by lightly roasted vegetables and local bread (pao). Both the prawns and the lobster were cooked to perfection and were neither too oily nor overloaded with garlic. They were devoured within minutes of reaching the table. No meal is complete without dessert. And while Zeebop offers a wide range in desserts from the traditional Indian sweets which are a hot favourite among their large foreign clientele, they also offer a wide range of cheesecakes and fresh fruit specialities. The banana pancakes with honey and a fresh fruit salad was all that was needed to complete the meal and make it an unforgettable experience and one to remember
GOABUZZ
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Get in SinQ this season SinQ, Goa’s latest addition to its tourism circuit had a rocking start. This unique multi venue food and beverage concept comprising of a poolside lounge, Goan bar and an indoor club bar saw a large number of friends and well wishers turn up to wish owner Sahil Adwalpalkar on the start of his new venture, which is all set to take partying in Goa by storm. SinQ aims at offering Goans as well as visitors an opportunity to relax at the large poolside lounge with multiple seating options ranging from the super exclusive private cabanas projecting over the pool which will come along with buttler service, day beds, sun deck beds, loungers and informal table dining. The food served here will be very international complete with grills and pizzeria and will also have some very marquee Goan cuisine especially Goan Saraswat food which is almost non existent on the beach belt. The food will be complemented by good music and other entertaiment. Sahil Adwalpalker played the perfect host. Guests could be heard well into the night raving about the interiors as well as the exquisite food and drinks being served. The entire project will be managed by the operators of the very successful Skyye Bar at UB City, Bangalore to bring in high standards of hospitality to this venture
Altaf Mavany
Sushant Nadkarni
Rajesh Dempo
Sahil Adwalpalkar
Dattaprasad Kamat
Shivan Desai
Jyoti Adwalpalkar
Vini Timblo
Anil Counto
Shaunak Naik
Rajesh Khaunte
Chetan Timblo
Aakash Counto
Varun Albuquerque
David D’Souza
Karl Sousa
Milind Bhonsle
Mahesh Advalpalkar
Shyam Haridas
Harry Singh
Ambar Timblo
Sagar Salgaocar
Premal Javeri
Manguirish Kunde
Skitter Faia
Goa’s most talked about Awards coming soon
view last year’s videos on www.businessgoaawards.com 54 Business Goa
15 DECEMBER 2012
GOABUZZ
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When Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies pop up Trishala Jain, one of India’s most renowned pop artist, recently threw open the doors of Sunaparanta Centre for the Arts to welcome guests to witness her latest pop-up exhibition titled ‘Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies’. Inspired by Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland and hit Beatles number ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ Trishala’s works had a two way effect on viewers who were drawn in with their boldness and then had their imaginations gently tickled. The highly attended event saw art lovers from all walks of life admiring the works which comprised of strong strokes, bright colours and a clever play on words. “Trishala’s works are lot about literature. The work ‘Merry Wanderer,’ for instance, takes sentences from Shakespeare in parts which come together to create a lot of laughter and love,” the exhibition’s curator, Priya Pall, said. The show was open to those who want to transport their mind from the mundane to fantasy
Kabir Pinto Makhija
Natasha Alvares
Amol Navelkar
Satyen Gajwani
Dipti Salgaocar
Carlos Alvares
Dattaraj Salgaocar
Vijay Bhandare
Archa Kamat
Trishala Jain
Nishad Navelkar
Rajendra Usapkar
Goa Arts and Literary festival inaugrated Touted to be the confluence of art and literature in Goa, the third edition of the Goa Arts & Literary festival kicked off with a grand inaugural by eminent writers Mridula Garg and Eunice de Souza. The inaugural was also graced by Chief Guest, His Excellency Bharat Vir Wanchoo, Governor of Goa and Guest of Honour, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The numerous writers and artists present at the inaugural ceremony read like a “who’s who” of the literature world. The grand inaugural was followed by the release of ‘Adi Parva’ by Amruta Patil, award winning graphic novelist at the hands of Dr. Vidya Dehejia. World renowned soprano Patricia Rosario supported by Mark Troop and Amar Mucchala graced the event with her first ever exclusive solo performance
Chief Guest along with guests of honor
H.E Bharat Vir Wanchoo
Nandini Sahai
Dr. Vidya Dehejia
Vishnu Surya Wagh
Amruta Patil
Vivek Menezes
Omar Abdullah
Mridula Garg
Eunice de Souza
Damodar Mauzo Poster of Goa Art and Lit fest designed by Artist Norman Tagore
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Asha Arondekar felicitates women
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was awarded the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Award 2012 in the politics category at the hands of former Attorney General of India, Soli Sorabjee at a glittering ceremony held in New Delhi on December 12, the eve of his 57th birthday. CNN-IBN had recognized Parrikar for being the architect of BJP’s victory in the Goa elections and for successfully selling the agenda of hope in a State which was used to despairingly low-level politics as well as the first IITian to become a Chief Minister. The nominees for the category of politics included Sports Minister Ajay Makan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Parrikar was introduced as ‘Singham’ of Goa, who is going to clean the political mess in the State. After the presentation of the award, Parrikar said that the task to do so is definitely tough, but that was precisely the reason why he was elected by the people to the post.
Orchid Group of companies for the second year in succession, recognized and awarded extraordinary and outstanding women from various fields at a glittering event. An initiative by Asha Arondekar, the founder of Orchid Group, the awardees were chosen from various fields where they have struggled, strived and outshone. This year, the winners were Dr. Asha Sawardekar in Social Service, Siddha Poojari in Education, Akshada Bandekar in Performing Arts, Sucheta Malkarnekar in Business, Nelly Rodrigues in Politics, Christina Viegas in Journalism, Akanksha Salunke in Sports, and Chitra Kshirsagar in Rural empowerment. Besides receiving a specially designed trophy and gift vouchers, the winners also received cash awards. The program highlighted the beginning of a woman’s life by a power packed film on ‘Save the Girl Child’. “Some women don’t do it with choice, they do it because they have no choice but there are these handful of women who dare to be different and are outstanding and inspiring,” says Asha.
Grand Hyatt Goa awarded ‘Favourite New Hotel in India’
Shaji Babu opens Happy Kids
Gautam Karkal
Parrikar wins CNN-IBN Award
The world’s leading travel magazine, Conde Nast Traveller has awarded Grand Hyatt Goa with The Condé Nast Traveller India Readers’ Travel Award for the ‘Favourite New Hotel in India’. The annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards is internationally recognized as a benchmark for excellence in the travel and tourism industry. By receiving this Award, Grand Hyatt Goa has garnered yet another feather in its hat! “Being a relatively new entrant in the Goan hospitality industry, we are extremely proud to receive this esteemed recognition from discerning Indian travellers. We have had a successful year and it is indeed a great honour that Grand Hyatt Goa has been well perceived by our guests in India as well as international travellers,” said General Manager Stefan Radstrom. “Since their introduction, Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards have been recognized as the most prestigious travel awards in India and by winning this award, Grand Hyatt Goa has reached yet another milestone in its nascent stage of operation,” he added.
Ranjana Salgaocar hosts the sixth annual ‘Shringar’ in Goa
‘Shringar’, an exhibition and sale of exclusive products from all over India, was held by Ranjana Salgaocar for the sixth consecutive year. The only exhibition of its kind, Shringar made available to Goans a display of products usually stocked only at exclusive boutiques and stores in India and abroad. “Goa offers limited options to the discerning, stylish buyers who are compelled to shop outside the State and Shringar came about to meet this need,” says Salgaocar. This unique exhibition and sale brought a mix of new products along with some of the popular stalls from previous years. The ‘Shringar’ team attends the best exhibitions in India, scouting for unique clothes, jewellery, accessories and household items. 58 Business Goa
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Shaji Babu recently opened his first store showing a wide range of imported toys and gifts. Happy Kids at Caculo Mall, retails everything that a child would need to spend his or her childhood in bliss. From Barbie dolls and their accessories, comics and colour books to games and teddy bears, Happy Kids has it all. Shaji’s store also houses baby blankets, walkers, cradles, garden swings, tricycles, eye masks, mugs etc. Housed at Caculo Mall, next to Timezone, Shaji is all prepped to give toy shopping a new meaning. The store was inaugurated by Dy. Chief Minister Francis D’Souza.
quiz
42
1. Which company was founded by Byung-Chull Lee in 1938? 2. This brand gets it’s name from the Urdu word for ‘Digestion’. It was launched as an ayurvedic medicine in 1978. 3. Douglas Hofstadter’s ‘Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies’, was the first to be sold on 4. What did Jim Deligatti from Pittsburgh create for McDonald’s in 1968? 5. Identify this businessman who is now a Member of Parliament Answers to BG Quiz 41 1.Ratan Tata G 2.Ripley’s Believe It Or Not 3. DALDA 4. Kellog’s 5. Nitin Paranjpe Email your entries to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa